News

Conagra Brands Foundation Supports Erie House Health and Leadership Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 6, 2018 | Chicago, IL

Conagra Brands Foundation (“The Foundation”) has provided a grant to support the Health and Leadership Program at Erie House. The grant will advance the work of the Super H and Comprando Rico y Sano ("Buying Tasty and Healthy") initiatives, both of which provide nutrition education and resources for healthy living.

“The Conagra Brands Foundation is pleased to support this holistic health and wellness initiative that provides children and adults with essential knowledge while also celebrating culture and building self-esteem,” says Robert Rizzo, Senior Director, Conagra Brands Foundation.

Super H—along with its companion, Super H-itos—works specifically with children and youth; Comprando Rico y Sano, meanwhile, is geared toward adults. Together the initiatives reached more than 1,250 people last year, elevating the general wellbeing of families within the Erie House community.

The Conagra Brands Foundation grant will enhance wellness initiatives for kids and adults in the community through the Health and Leadership Program at Erie House. PHOTO BY BRIAN PAFF

“The community we serve is disproportionately impacted by diabetes, heart disease and obesity,” observes Micaella Verro, director of the Health and Leadership Program. “Nutrition education is key to preventing those diseases before they start.”

The Foundation’s community impact grant program invests in the communities where Conagra Brands operates by supporting community-based organizations. Erie House’s proven success in the area of nutrition education aligns well with its other efforts focusing on food access, nutrition education, cooking skills and supporting healthy and active lifestyles.

Verro points out that the impact of this programming goes far beyond physical wellness.

“We focus on strategies to engage the entire family during all of our classes—so that cooking and shopping become an opportunity to reinforce healthy habits.”

– Micaella Verro, Director of Health and Leadership

“Besides the obvious health benefits, it’s important for us to support healthy nutrition because cooking and shopping are very powerful times that naturally bring families together,” she explains. “We focus on strategies to engage the entire family during all of our classes—so that cooking and shopping become an opportunity to reinforce healthy habits.”

The Health and Leadership Program taps into a network of student interns and volunteer promotores de salud—health promoters—to bring wellness resources and education further into the community.

“We see kids succeed in this program,” says Verro. “They are also our best advocates. The real breakthrough is when they tell their parents about what they learn in Super H—and they even prepare our recipes at home. This ensures that we’re making an impact on entire families.

About Conagra Brands Foundation Conagra Brands Foundation believes everyone has a right to healthy and nutritious food knowing that food insecurity exists in every U.S. county. The Foundation partners with exceptional national and local nonprofits with high-impact programs located in the communities where we live and work. By focusing our efforts within five areas: Direct Food Access, Cooking Skills, Nutrition Education, Healthy and Active Lifestyles and Urban Agriculture, we are able to be a leader in the fight against food insecurity in North America.

Erie Neighborhood House (ENH) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that reaches 5,000 people annually, empowering them to build better lives while strengthening their communities. ENH offers Chicago’s Latino and diverse low-income residents a range of community-based education programs. With forward-thinking leadership, ENH is committed to continuing its legacy of cost effective, award-winning programming. For more information, please visit www.eriehouse.org.